Cincom launches JD Edwards revival practice

Make-to-order and project-driven manufacturing IT specialist Cincom has launched a JD Edwards practice in the wake of Oracle’s public commitment, late last year, to support JDE ERP systems to 2013. Cincom says it’s a response to the growing demand for JD Edwards’ expertise, and in line with its corporate strategy to expand the services and consultancy side of the business. Removing uncertainty in the marketplace means that JD Edwards users can plan a solid future for their systems. Cincom believes many will now take the opportunity to upgrade or expand systems on their way potentially to an eventual transition to Oracle’s Fusion development. Cincom says it will help users to quantify the value and business benefits of such system upgrades and then professionally manage resulting projects. David Easterbrook, director of consulting services at Cincom’s EMEA JD Edwards Practice (and former director of UK consulting with JD Edwards), says: “There were initial fears amongst the JD Edwards community that support would be dropped and that they would ultimately be forced to adopt Oracle applications. “These fears have been allayed with Oracle’s commitment to add value to the JD Edwards products with new releases and a road map to Fusion. However the challenge organisations now face is deciding what to do next. Should they upgrade to the latest version now, and if so, how do they justify the cost of the upgrade and quantify the business benefits?” To assist in JDE development, Cincom has recruited familiar names from the old organisation, including Easterbrook, bringing what it describes as: “the core values from nearly 20 years at JD Edwards.” Manufacturers thus have access to an experienced team able to deliver value with short and mid term plans. Easterbrook says there are four strands to the Cincom offering. First is helping users achieve measurable value from their investment, ensuring that IT and business objectives are aligned. Second is its ‘Value-Based Account Management programme’, geared to following business benefits. Third is dealing with people requirements: training, roles and responsibilities, communication and team building. And fourth is professional services around JD Edwards applications and technology. Says Easterbrook: “I am delighted to join Cincom to head up the JD Edwards practice. With Cincom’s experience, infrastructure and stability, along with their commitment to grow the services business and combined with the opportunity in the market, we have the perfect platform to provide JD Edwards’ users with a real value-added service, which we feel the market has been severely lacking.”